First Day of Filming

Filming has finally begun!  The forecast said it would be cloudy today, so I jumped on the opportunity to begin filming.  Too bad the cloudiness won't last for more than a day or two, but I think I got some pretty good footage.

Here's some stills from today's shoot:

And so begins our journey... "Down the Road".

- Erik (Director)

Pre-Production Update

Summer is finally here!  I'm out of college for a bit now, so I can finally give all my focus and attention to "Down the Road".  Here's the newest update:

Still in the pre-production phase.  A lot of scheduling to do, securing locations, actors, etc.  Here's the breakdown:

ACTORS:
For the most part, the actors are secured.  There's still a few roles I need to fill, but they're mostly just minor roles that I can probably film separately after the main bulk of the production has been shot.

LOCATIONS:
My next step may be location scouting for some thick, woodsy locations, which play a key role in the film.  Still in search of a few streets that could work for the type of town I'm trying to create as well.  However, the main location I still need to secure is something that could work as a detective's office (my main concern right now, above all other pre-production aspects).

VFX/CAMERAWORK/LIGHTING/ETC.:
There are also a lot of tests I'd like to perform to get the right look and feel down for the film, as well as how to create realistic rain during non-rainy days, how to create fog when there is none, cloudy days when it's bright and sunny, etc.  I also need to figure out my camera's capabilities with slow motion, which I'd like to have for a few shots.

Other than that, a few props still need to be bought/created.

Here are some images to give a glimpse into the pre-production files that were created to organize everything.  (Click each image for full-size)

 And finally, I'll leave you with an excerpt from a marked-up script (the first three pages).

So, a lot still left to do in preparation.  But more work here in "pre"-production means more organization on set.

Anyway, that's all for now.  More to come soon!


- Erik (Director)

Script is DONE! Getting Back on the Project

Well, it's been over a year since my last update.  A year that I should've been able to finish the entire film in, but... well... this seems to be a recurring theme with my projects.  Start it, get all excited, then somehow it slows down and fades a bit.  However, there is another recurring theme...  I "never give up."  This is indeed one of the actual themes of my story "Down the Road", and it holds true beyond the film itself.

And while there were no updates for the past year... a lot has been done.

I'm not quite sure what state the script was in over a year ago, but it has undergone many revisions in recent months.  Situations have changed, characters have changed, dialogue has changed.  They were mostly minor changes, but important and hopefully powerful ones nonetheless.  I have now come to a point where I truly feel I understand each of my characters, their histories, their personalities... their essence.  I have revised the subtleties of their actions and dialogue, and I finally feel the script is at a point that I can just sit back, relax, and watch everything unfold.  It's that moment in writing where your characters begin to write themselves, and the plot simply flows.  It's that moment when you sit down... and everything just falls into place.

And so, after working on it for almost 5 years, I am finally finished with the script.  It took me far too long, and I'm sure there's still things that could be better.  In fact, I know there's things that could be better.  But I feel I have captured what, in my opinion, is more important than any amount of tiny flaws combined... the essence.   I am finally at that point where I can not only read my story... I can feel it.  To see all the details in each moment, the subtleties of each character's personality, and how it all fits together.  It took a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of moments staring at the computer just racking my brain, but no matter what... it was always a work of love, and I'm truly happy with what it's become.

The script is DONE!

Let's film it!

- Erik (Director)